The present invention represents an addition to a family of fitness machines that employ line and pulley mechanisms which enable an exercise client to propel a body bearing carriage, suspended on a rail like pathway, from a point of origin to a point of elevation. Body weight provides resistance to elevation and permits a return of the carriage to the point of origin. The applicant has, over a period of years, researched apparatus of this nature and has developed a variety of such machines as documented through patent history, referenced as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,120, issued Aug. 2, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,529, issued Aug. 27, 1996, and Ser. No. 09/005,468, filed Jan. 12, 1998.
A current prototype, that relied on the above cited patented material, was demonstrated for direct marketing groups to illicit suggestions for product improvement.
The major suggestions for improvement centered around cost reduction and safety. Recommended was structural simplification to reduce manufacturing costs, with a foldable frame for shipping savings. Also suggested was reduced carriage travel with guard panels to shield working parts. The new invention represents an attempt to reconcile the positive attributes and exercise options of previous machines with the identified cost and safety considerations requisite to marketing.